No. 7/8 Kansas returns to Allen Fieldhouse Friday against Siena

 CBE Hall of Fame Classic Host Game
 #7/8 KANSAS (1-1, 0-0 Big 12) vs.
 Siena (1-1, 0-0 MAAC)
Date Friday, Nov. 18
Time 7 p.m. Central
Location Lawrence, Kan.
Arena Allen Fieldhouse
 LIVE COVERAGE
TV Jayhawk Television Network
Video ESPN3
Radio Jayhawk Radio Network
Audio KUAthletics.com/radio
Stats KUAthletics.com
 SOCIAL
Twitter @KUHoops | #kubball
Instagram @kuhoops | #kubball
Facebook /KansasBasketball
 STATS KU SC
 Points / game 88.0 82.0
 Opp. Points / game 89.0 77.5
 Field Goal % .471 .433
 3-Point Field Goal % .225 .367
 Free Throw % .684 .698
 Rebounds / game 38.5 33.5
 Assists / game 14.5 14.0
 Turnovers / game 12.5 7.0
 Steals / game 7.5 6.5
 Blocks / game 3.0 6.0

Notes Kansas Game Notes (.pdf)
Notes Siena Game Notes (.pdf)
Video Bill Self previews Siena

CHAMPIONS CLASSIC
After nearly 12,000 miles of travel, No. 7/8 Kansas begins a four games played in eight days stretch when it opens the home portion of the 2016-17 season hosting Siena, Friday, Nov. 18, in a host game of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic. The game will tip at 7 p.m. (Central) and will be televised on Jayhawk TV/ESPN3. KU is 1-1 after its 77-75 win against No. 1 Duke in the State Farm Champions Classic, Nov. 15. Siena is 1-1 after its 77-75 loss at George Washington on Nov. 15. Kansas is looking to win its 43rd-consecutive home opener in Allen Fieldhouse, dating back to the 1973-74 season.

KANSAS IN THE CBE HALL OF FAME CLASSIC
Kansas is participating in its third CBE Hall of Fame Classic and its first since winning the 2012 event at Sprint Center in Kansas City. The Jayhawks are 7-1 in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic with a 4-0 record in host contests and 3-1 mark in the championship brackets. KU first played in the event in 2008 losing to Syracuse, 89-81 in overtime, in the title game. KU defeated Saint Louis, 73-59, in the 2012 championship game.

KU’s Travis Releford was the Most Valuable Player of the 2012 event and was joined by Jayhawk Ben McLemore on the all-tournament team. KU’s Sherron Collins was a member of the 2008 CBE Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team.

Originally called the Guardians Classic, the event started in 2001 with the championship rounds played in Kansas City at either Kemper Arena or Sprint Center.

ABOUT KANSAS
Kansas is coming off a 77-75 win against No. 1 Duke, Nov. 15, in the State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The win improved KU to 1-1 on the season. KU lost its season opener against No. 11/12 Indiana, 103-99 in overtime, on Nov. 11. Through two games, Kansas averages 88.0 points per contest. The Jayhawks are shooting 47.1 percent from the field and pulled down 38.5 rebounds per game. KU is averaging 7.5 steals and 14.5 assists. After Indiana outrebounded KU by 11 in the season opener, the Jayhawks bounced back and held a 38-29 rebound edge against Duke.

Senior G Frank Mason III has opened the season as one of the top players in the nation. The reigning Big 12 Player of the Week is averaging 25.5 points in two games. He leads KU with 7.0 assists per game and 18 free throws made. Mason scored the final 11 points in regulation against Indiana to send the game into overtime and the final five points, including the game-winning jumper, in the Duke victory. Junior G Devonte’ Graham is next in scoring at 14.5 points per game. Graham has made a team best three 3-pointers and is 8-for-9 from the free throw line. Freshman G Josh Jackson is coming off a 15-point effort against Duke. He is averaging 12.0 points and 4.0 rebounds through two games. Sophomore F Carlton Bragg Jr. scores 10.5 points per game and pulls down 4.5 boards. Senior C Landen Lucas (6.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg) rounds out the KU starters.

Sophomore G Lagerald Vick comes off the bench and averages 8.0 points per contest. Junior G Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk leads Kansas in steals with three and he averages 7.0 points per contest. Freshman C Udoka Azubuike is coming off a 12-rebound effort against Duke. Azubuike also scored six points and had one blocked shot against the Blue Devils. He leads KU with 7.0 rebounds per game and scores 3.0 points per outing.

Last season, Kansas’ 33-5 team went 15-3 in Big 12 play, winning its unprecedented 12th-straight, 16th Big 12 and NCAA-leading 59th overall conference regular-season championships. KU also won the 2015 Maui Invitational and 2016 Big 12 Championship titles and was the overall No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament where it advanced to the Elite Eight.

ABOUT SIENA
Located in Loudonville, New York, with an enrollment of 3,000, Siena is 1-1 after its 77-75 loss at George Washington Nov. 15. The Saints are coached by Jimmy Patsos who is 53-52 in his fourth season at Siena and 198-187 in his 13th season overall. Siena averages 82.0 points per game and has a 4.5 scoring margin, which includes an 89-78 win against Cornell on Nov. 13. The Saints make 9.0 3-pointers per game and average 14.0 assists, 6.5 steals and 6.0 blocked shots per game.

Senior G Marquis Wright leads Siena in scoring at 26.0 points per game, which includes a 31-point effort against Cornell. Wright has made a team-best seven 3-pointers and is making 58.3 percent from beyond the arc. Wright also leads Siena with a 4.5 assist average and is second on the team with three steals. Senior F Javion Ogunyemi is next in scoring at 16.0 points per game and he is second on the team with 6.0 rebounds per contest. Ogunyemi has a team-high five blocked shots in two games. Senior F Brett Bisping leads Siena in rebounds with 10.5 per game. He opened the season with a double-double (23 points, 15 rebounds) against Cornell (11/13) and averages 14.0 points per game. Sophomore G Nico Clareth started against George Washington (11/15) and has scored 14 points in both games. Freshman G Khalil Richard (1.0 ppg, five assists) rounds out the Siena starters. Other Siena regulars include sophomore G Kadeem Smithen (3.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg) and sophomore F Evan Fisher (3.0 ppg).

THE SERIES
Kansas and Siena are meeting for the second time in men’s basketball with the Jayhawks winning the lone match-up, 91-84, on Jan. 6, 2009, in Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas is 14-1 all-time against current membership of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

In the only meeting, KU’s Cole Aldrich scored 24 points and added 13 rebounds. Sherron Collins scored 18 points, while Tyrel Reed added a 14 for the Jayhawks. KU led throughout the game, but Siena never backed down, pulling within five at 87-82 near the end of the contest. Kansas made 12 of 14 free throws in the game’s final three minutes to clinch the victory.

A KANSAS WIN WOULD …
Make Kansas 2-1 or better for the 13th time in the Bill Self era … Give Kansas its 43rd-straight home opening win dating back to 1973-74 … Make the Kansas-Siena series 2-0 in favor of the Jayhawks … Extend Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse winning streak to 41 games and its NCAA-leading home court winning streak to 43 games … Make Kansas 745-109 all-time in Allen Fieldhouse, including 207-9 under Self … Make Self the all-time winningest coach in Allen Fieldhouse, surpassing Ted Owens’ 206 wins … Improve Self to 387-84 at Kansas, 594-189 overall and 2-0 against Siena … Make KU 2,188-837 all-time.

A KANSAS LOSS WOULD …
Make Kansas 1-2 for the first time since the 2005-06 season … End Kansas’ 42-game home opening winning streak which started in 1973-74 … Tie the KU-Siena series at 1-1 … End the nation’s longest active home court winning streak at 42 games, including 40 straight in Allen Fieldhouse … Make Kansas 744-110 all-time in Allen Fieldhouse, including 206-10 under Bill Self … Make Self 386-86 while at KU, 593-190 overall and 1-1 against Siena … Make KU 2,187-838 all-time.

DUKE LEFTOVERS
• Kansas has won three of the last four games against Duke, including two-straight, to improve its standing in the series which Duke now leads, 7-4. The last two meetings have come in the Champions Classic. The 2016 contest was the first in the series decided by two points or less.
•Kansas defeated the top-ranked team in the Associated Press (AP) poll for the eighth time in program history, improving to 8-17 all-time against AP No. 1 teams. The Jayhawks are now 3-2 against AP No. 1 teams and 72-39 against AP ranked teams under Bill Self.
•Kansas out-scored Duke in fast-break points, 12-0 — with all 12 fast-break points scored in the second half.
Senior G Frank Mason III led Kansas in scoring for the second-straight game with 21 points. With his 30 points against Indiana (11/11), Mason is the first Jayhawk to score 50 points in two-straight games since Andrew Wiggins had nine versus Texas Tech (3/5/14) and 41 at West Virgina (3/8/14).
Freshman G Josh Jackson scored a season-high 15 points, including 11 in the second half.
Freshman C Udoka Azubuike grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds in 15 minutes of action, becoming the first Jayhawk to record double-figure rebounds in a game this season.
Sophomore G Lagerald Vick set career highs in points (9), rebounds (5) and minutes (31).

WHAT A START FOR FRANK
In Kansas’ first two games, senior G Frank Mason III has scored 51 points and collected 14 assists. Mason’s points are the most in the first two games for a Jayhawk since Carl Henry scored 53 points in KU’s first two contests of the 1982-83 season. Mason’s 14 assists are the most since Aaron Miles also had 14 dimes in the first two games of the 2002-03 season.

IN THE POLLS
Kansas entered the 2016-17 season No. 3 in the Associated Press poll and No. 2 in the USA TODAY Coaches’ Poll. In this week’s rankings, the Jayhawks are No. 8 coaches’ poll and No. 7 in the AP poll after a season-opening 103-99 overtime loss to now-No. 6/5 Indiana. 

Kansas has been ranked in each of the last 144 AP polls dating back to the 2008-09 season, which is the longest active streak in NCAA Division I.

Kansas was ranked in the preseason for the 25th time in time in the 28-year history of the poll. The No. 2 preseason ranking marked the sixth time KU has been preseason No. 2 or higher in the coaches’ poll.

Last season Kansas tied its previous season’s record by facing 16 ranked foes. The Jayhawks’ 12 wins against ranked teams was an all-time season high. In 2015-16 Kansas opened the year No. 5 in the preseason coaches’ poll and ended No. 3.

The AP ranking marked the highest preseason rank for the Jayhawks since entering the 2009-10 season No. 1. This is the fourth-straight season KU has been ranked No. 5 or higher by the AP preseason poll. KU was No. 4 last season in the AP preseason poll and No. 5 in 2014-15 and 2013-14. It is also the seventh time in the last eight seasons that the Jayhawks have entered the season No. 7 or higher by the AP.

Under Self, this is the 11th time that Kansas entered the season ranked seventh or higher in the AP preseason poll and historically, the No. 3 ranking marked the 19th time since the 1992-93 season that Kansas entered the season seventh or higher.

Last season, KU entered the year No. 4 nationally in the Associated Press poll and ended at No. 1. The AP’s final poll is released prior to the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks were ranked in the top 10 every week during the 2015-16 season.

MASON NETS BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior G Frank Mason III scored a career-high 30 points against No. 11 Indiana on Nov. 11 to earn the season’s first Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week honor. Mason posted his career game on Veterans Day, in the State Farm Armed Forces Classic in Honolulu, a game which KU lost 103-99 in overtime. Mason scored the Jayhawks’ final 11 points in regulation, including two free throws to send the game to overtime.

Also in the contest, Mason set career highs in free throws (13) and free throw attempts (15). His 30 points marked his fifth career game of scoring 20 or more points and his nine assists against the Hoosiers was the 14th time in his career he has had seven or more assists.

Jayhawks Named to Watch Lists
Kansas senior Frank Mason III, junior Devonte’ Graham and freshman Josh Jackson have been named to the John R. Wooden Award® presented by Wendy’s® Preseason Top 50, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Nov. 15.

Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for John R. Wooden Award. The same three Jayhawks were named to the Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year Preseason Watch List on Nov. 10.

With three Jayhawks on the Wooden list, Kansas has tied for the most by any school on the preseason watch. Duke, Kentucky and Oregon also have three each on the preseason top 50. Jackson joins six other freshmen on the list as well.

CONFERENCE SUCCESS
Including 2015-16, Kansas has won 16 of the 20 Big 12 regular-season titles (includes ties), including the last 12, which ranks second on the NCAA all-time consecutive list. Kansas’ 59 conference titles are the most in NCAA Division I. Kentucky is second with 53 and Penn third at 37. KU’s 12-straight league titles are the longest active streak in NCAA Division I and the longest streak in school history. UCLA, from 1967-79, holds the NCAA record of 13 straight, which was under two coaches. Kansas’ current run has been under head coach Bill Self.

KANSAS IS PRESEASON BIG 12 FAVORITE
For the 15th time in the 21-year history of the Big 12, Kansas men’s basketball has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the conference regular-season championship. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams in the poll and KU received a unanimous nine first-place votes and a total of 81 points. West Virginia was second in the poll receiving 65 points, followed by Texas (59), Iowa State (56) and Baylor (53). Oklahoma was sixth with 40 points, while Oklahoma State and Texas Tech tied for seventh with 32 points. Kansas State (20) and TCU (12) rounded out the coaches’ preseason poll.

Historically, the preseason favorite has gone on to finish first in the regular season 13 times, which does not include 1996-97 as a coaches’ poll was not conducted. Kansas has been the preseason favorite in 12 of its 16 Big 12 regular-season titles, missing 1996-97 (no poll), 2005-06 (third) and 2010-11 (second).

JAYHAWKS EARN PRESEASON BIG 12 HONORS
Kansas guards Frank Mason III, Devonte’ Graham and Josh Jackson each garnered recognition on the 2016-17 All-Big 12 Preseason Team as voted on by the league’s men’s basketball coaches.

Mason and Graham were on the five-member All-Big 12 Preseason Team, while Jackson is an honorable mention selection as the recipient of at least one vote by the league’s coaches who could not vote for their own student-athletes. Jackson was also voted as KU’s fourth-straight Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year.

Jackson is the fourth-straight Jayhawk to be named preseason freshman of the year joining Cheick Diallo last season, Cliff Alexander in 2014-15 and Andrew Wiggins in 2013-14. KU has had eight Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year selections starting with Nick Collison in 1999-2000.

TRIO NAMED TO NAISMITH WATCH LISTS
The Kansas trio of Frank Mason III, Devonte’ Graham and Carlton Bragg Jr. have been named candidates for three respected national honors the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Named one of 20 candidates, Mason is on the 2017 Bob Cousy Point Guard Award list and Graham was named to the 2017 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award list. Bragg is one of 20 candidates on the 2017 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award, an honor Perry Ellis was a finalist for in both of the last two seasons.

FIFTEEN JAYHAWKS ON NBA OPENING DAY ROSTERS
A total of 15 Jayhawks were opening day rosters for the 2016-17 NBA regular-season which began Oct. 25.

Paul Pierce has the most tenure of the Jayhawks in the NBA, entering his 19th and final season of his hall-of-fame career. Pierce is in his second year with the Los Angeles Clippers. Oklahoma City’s Nick Collison, a member of KU’s 2002 and 2003 Final Four teams, is next entering his 14th season with the Thunder.

The Minnesota Timberwolves carry the most Jayhawks  with Cole Aldrich, Brandon Rush and Andrew Wiggins. Aldrich, from Bloomington, Minnesota, returns home for his first season with the Timberwolves and his seventh season in an NBA uniform. He and Rush were members of Kansas’ 2008 NCAA National Championship team. Rush is also in his first year in Minnesota and his ninth in the league. He is one of four Jayhawks to have won both NCAA and NBA titles, as he was a member of the 2015 Golden State Warriors’ title team. Wiggins, the overall No. 1 NBA Draft selection in 2014, is entering his third season with Minnesota.

Also a member of the 2008 national champ Jayhawks is Darrell Arthur, who is in his eighth season in the NBA and fourth with Denver. Arthur missed 2011-12 due to injury.

Twins Marcus and Markieff Morris are entering their sixth year in the league. They have been separated as teammates for the past few seasons with Marcus on the Detroit Pistons, and Markieff with the Washington Wizards. Joining Markeiff on the Wizards is Kelly Oubre Jr., who is in his second season in the NBA.

Thomas Robinson (Los Angeles Lakers) and Jeff Withey (Utah Jazz) were part of KU’s NCAA runner-up team in 2012. The fifth overall NBA Draft selection in 2012, this will be Robinson’s first season with the Lakers as he joins fellow Jayhawk Tarik Black, who is in his third season with the franchise. Drafted in 2013, Withey begins his second year in a Jazz uniform and his third overall in the NBA.

Fourth-year player and No. 7 overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft, Ben McLemore continues his career with the Sacramento Kings.

The No. 3 overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft, Joel Embiid suffered through injuries his first two seasons but is now healthy for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Cheick Diallo is the youngest Jayhawk in the NBA as he begins his rookie season with the New Orleans Pelicans.

DOMINATING DEFENSE
In Bill Self’s 13 seasons at Kansas, the Jayhawks have led the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense nine times and finished no lower than fourth. Nationally, Self-coached Jayhawks have ranked eighth or higher in all but four seasons in field goal percentage defense and have ranked in the top five on eight occasions, including first in 2005-06 and 2011-12.

BIG 12 RUN NO CAKEWALK
Kansas ended 2015-16 ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Rating Percentage Index (RPI) and its strength of schedule second nationally. In Self’s 13 seasons, KU has ranked fifth or higher in the final RPI nine times, including each of the last seven years.

KANSAS VS. RANKED TEAMS
Kansas opened the 2016-17 season going 1-1 against ranked foes. In 2015-16, Kansas posted a season-high 12 wins against Associated Press Top 25 teams. The mark surpassed the previous season, 2014-15, of 10. In the Bill Self era, Kansas is 76-38 against ranked opponents and has only had one non-.500 record, that being his first in 2003-04. Each of the past two seasons, Kansas has played a season-high 16 games vs. ranked foes.

DOWNTOWN
In 2015-16, Kansas made a season-record 304 3-pointers. The Jayhawks’ 41.8 percent from 3-point range tied for second best in school history.

SOME THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN 2016-17
Bill Self is 206-9 in Allen Fieldhouse. Ted Owens was 206-47 from 1964-65 to 1982-83. When Self wins his first game in Allen Fieldhouse this season, he will be the winningest coach in Allen Fieldhouse history. (Self 206-9, Owens 206-47, Williams 201-17, Brown 71-5, Harp 51-29, Allen 9-2).
Bill Self has 386 wins at KU (14 shy of 400), 593 overall (seven shy of 600). When he won his 500th, Self tied for the ninth fastest in NCAA history. Self has coached 780 games, which is how many it took Phog Allen to win his 600th. Self will most likely end up 10th or 11th fastest to 600.
•KU is 744-109 all-time in Allen Fieldhouse, approaching win No. 750 in the venue.
•Kansas has the nation’s longest active home court winning streak at 42 games entering 2016-17; 40 of those in Allen Fieldhouse.
•KU has sold out of 243-straight games in Allen Fieldhouse, approaching 250.
•Kansas has won 2,187 all-time games, approaching 2,200, which is second all-time in NCAA history. Kentucky is first at 2,207.
• Entering the 2016-17 season, Kansas is the winningest program, by percentage, this decade: 1. KANSAS (216-43, 83.4%); 2. Kentucky (217-47, 82.2%); 3. Duke (210-47, 81.7%).
•Should Kansas advance to the 2017 NCAA Tournament it would be its 28th-consecutive NCAA tourney appearance. The current 27 straight is tied for the NCAA Tournament longest consecutive appearance streak with North Carolina (1975-2001).
Junior G Devonte’ Graham ranks tied for second on the KU career 3-point field goal list (min. 200 attempts), currently at 43.9 percent. Milt Newton (1985, 1987-89) holds the record at 44.6, while Graham is tied with Jeff Gueldner (19887-90) for second at 43.9.
Senior G Frank Mason III ranks tied for No. 38 with Aaron Miles in KU career scoring (1,183 points). Mason is No. 15 in assists (403). Mason is the 11th player in KU history to rank that high in both points and assists.
•Mason has started 76-straight games, which ranks 10th on the KU career list.

KANSAS INKS MARCUS GARRETT
Dallas Skyline High School standout guard Marcus Garrett signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) Nov. 10. Garrett has been described as utility guard who plays multiple positions, and can run an offense and provide versatility in playing multiple positions. At 6-foot-5, 180 pounds he creates match-up problems and also has been described as an elite defender.

A 2015-16 all-state selection as a junior at Skyline High under head coach Paul Graham, Garrett is a four-star recruit who verbally committed to KU in early August. Rivals.com ranks Garrett No. 37 in the 2017 national rankings.

Last season Garrett averaged 17.7 points, 10.1 assists and 7.0 rebounds in leading Skyline to a 32-3 record under head coach Paul Graham. With Garrett at the controls, Skyline made a run to the state tournament, advancing to the UIL Class 6A Region II semifinals. When not playing for the Skyline Raiders, Garrett plays AAU basketball for Dallas-based Swaghouse coached by his uncle, Matthew Watts.

THIS DATE IN KANSAS BASKETBALL HISTORY
Kansas is 2-1 all time on Nov. 18
Nov. 18, 2005: Kansas opened up its 2005-06 campaign with a 90-66 victory over Idaho State. Sophomore C Sasha Kaun had himself a night to remember, scoring 25 points and grabbing 16 rebounds, both career bests. In their first collegiate game, freshmen Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush and Julian Wright combined to score 36 points. Chalmers collected three assists and four steals, and went 7-for-7 from the free throw line, while Rush managed to pull down seven rebounds. The Jayhawks’ defense forced 24 turnovers by Idaho State and held them to just 33 percent shooting from the field.

UP NEXT
Kansas will have a short turnaround when it faces UAB in the bracket round of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic, Monday, Nov. 21, at 8:30 p.m., from Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The game will be televised on ESPN2. KU will either play Georgia or George Washington Nov. 22 in the event. The CBE Hall of Fame Classic consolation game will be at 6:30 p.m., on ESPN3 and the finals at 9 p.m., on ESPN2. Kansas returns to Allen Fieldhouse to host UNC Asheville in its second host game of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic on Friday, Nov. 25 at 7 p.m., on Jayhawk TV/ESPN3.

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